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Tommy Robinson has criticised newly elected Holborn and St Pancras MP Sagal Abdi-Wali, reigniting debate over representation, community identity and political priorities in modern Britain. Share Political activist Tommy Robinson has sparked controversy after criticising newly elected Holborn and St Pancras MP Sagal Abdi-Wali, the politician chosen by local voters to succeed Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the constituency. In a social media post, Robinson accused the new MP of placing greater emphasis on her Somali heritage and community connections than on representing Britain as a whole. Referring to a speech in which Abdi-Wali spoke about community unity, Robinson suggested her loyalties were focused on Somalia rather than the constituency she has been elected to serve. The remarks have quickly divided opinion online. Supporters of Robinson argue that voters have a right to scrutinise elected officials and question where their priorities lie. Othe...
Black History Month: Hakim Adi's Mission to Preserve African and Caribbean History in Britain
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Britain's first professor of history of African heritage has spent decades uncovering African and Caribbean stories often missing from the classroom.
History is not only about the past. It also shapes how a nation understands itself, whose contributions are recognised and which stories are passed on to future generations.
Few people have done more to broaden that understanding in Britain than Hakim Adi. In 2015, he became the first historian of African heritage to be appointed a professor of history in Britain, marking a significant milestone in British academia.
For decades, Adi has researched and written about the history of Africa, Pan-Africanism, and the experiences of African and Caribbean people in Britain. His work has challenged the idea that Black history begins only with the transatlantic slave trade or post-war migration. Instead, he has highlighted centuries of African and Caribbean presence, influence and activism in Britain.
Among his most influential works is African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History, a book that brings together stories often overlooked in mainstream historical narratives. His writing makes a compelling case that Black history is not separate from British history but an essential part of it.
Beyond his research, Adi has worked to create opportunities for others to study and share these histories. In 2018, he launched what was described as the world's first online MRes programme dedicated to the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester. The course provided students with a rare opportunity to study African and diaspora history at an advanced academic level.
He also founded the Young Historians Project, an initiative designed to encourage young people of African and Caribbean heritage to research, write and present history themselves. The project aims to inspire a new generation of historians and ensure that diverse voices help tell Britain's story.
The debate surrounding the programme raised wider questions about access to Black history education. What happens when specialist courses disappear? What stories become harder to research, teach and preserve?
During Black History Month, these questions remain relevant. Adi's career serves as a reminder that history is not simply about recording events. It is about ensuring that people can see themselves reflected in the national story and that future generations inherit a fuller understanding of Britain's past.
Bus conductor Ralph Straker and driver Laurie Herridle, 1957. Black workers played a crucial role in keeping Britain's transport services running during the post-war period, helping to shape the nation we know today.
Today, Hakim Adi is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where his research interests include the history of Africa and the African diaspora. He also remains the founder and consultant historian of the Young Historians Project. His contribution to the field was recognised with the African Studies Association UK Outstanding African Studies Award in August 2024 and the Amílcar Cabral Centenary Medallion from the Fundação Amílcar Cabral in April 2025. His continuing work serves as a reminder that Britain’s history cannot be fully understood without recognising the African and Caribbean people who helped shape it
At a time when conversations about representation, identity and education continue across the country, the work of Professor Hakim Adi stands as a powerful example of how historical research can widen understanding, challenge assumptions and bring long-overlooked voices into the public record.
